Worn-out Grizzlies Succumb To Penguins' Big Third Period

2nd-period Onslaught Lifts Pens

Friday, January 31, 2003 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 7A 





OPINION 
 CONSIDERING HOW poorly Wilkes-Barre worked with Luzerne County over
something as mutually useful as revenue, we should fear the potential for
greater calamity. Imagine if the two ever lock horns on something, like,
homeland security. Or even a localized disaster. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``That's my flood wall.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ``Well, it's on my bridge.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For now, the two governments have skirmished over money. Oddly it's not a
winner-take-all scenario; there would have been money for both had the city
turned over delinquent parking tickets to a district justice. Failing to do
that for nearly 12 months may have cost the city and Luzerne County tens of
thousands of dollars. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Each. Ouch. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The loss was uncovered when the County Controller's Office examined the
books of District Justice William Amesbury. An auditor noticed the discrepancy
for income in 2002. Bully for him. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 City officials blamed computers. That, and they've been busy entering
property-tax data into the city's ... computer system. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Rather than computers as the go-to excuse, this seems to be a failure of
the city administration to prioritize. It would only make sense to find the
resources - switch workers, hire a temp - to take advantage of tens of
thousands of dollars of potential revenue. Especially in Wilkes-Barre, which
has been borrowing money to pay borrowed money to pay for borrowed money. It
should certainly make everyone think again about the wasted time creating a
Wilkes-Barre city float for Gov. Rendell's inaugural parade when the mayor
never seemed to even have permission to be in it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And if it's a money loser to have city cops appear at the magistrate's
office for contested tickets - as a city administrator said - then it's just a
waste of time to have anyone write the tickets. Let them work over the
computers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As it is, the city is hoping some interns from King's College will set up a
computer system for the parking tickets. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Even if they boot up the city, the tickets are void after 60 days, said the
county auditor, and the uncollected ticket money is lost. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "He just didn't care," the auditor said of City Administrator Jim Hayward.
"I mentioned about the revenue that is being lost, and he told me, `Oh well.'
'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hayward disputes that. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But beneath the accusations and rhetoric are these realities: District
Justice Amesbury hasn't had a hearing for a city parking ticket since March
2002; the parking scofflaws have no reason to respect authority in
Wilkes-Barre; and the revenue that should have gone to the county and the city
from that time never did and never will. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

W-b Parking Ticket Flub A Truly Ominous Omen